A ships Spirit
by moonbird
Summary: Takes place straight after the Enies Lobbies arch. Usopp has apologised and re-joined the crew, but still it seems he has some unfinished buisness, some-thing that needs to be done right, to ensure that the spirit of the crew will remain whole and intact. The future of the ships spirit relies on his shoulders.


_AN; Takes place straight after the Enies Lobbys arch. _

* * *

"Wow.." Usopp breathed wide-eyed as Franky finished his private tour of the Sunny.

"So what do you think Long-nose bro?" Franky asked in a grin lifting up his sun-glasses.

"It's." Usopp swallowed looking wide-around at the deck. "She's magnificent." he admitted stunned. "A true dream ship."

"Well." Franky grinned as he crossed his arms. "That was the plan."

So much had happened, in so little time, Enies lobby. How heart wrenching that had been, had it really only been less than twenty fours hours ago? That Usopp had standed alone on that beach watching his crew sail away without him? Less than a week ago that he stood with his entire crew at enies lobby declaring war on the world goverment? Such a short time ago since he had finally let go and said good-bye to Merry. Rescued Robin, befriended Franky, chosen his own path for good this time. It seemed like a life-times worth of events.

"I still can't believe you actually build a work-shop for me." Usopp admitted. "I mean." confused he turned to Franky. "I wasn't even part of the crew." he pointed out.

Franky shook his head. "Sure you were, I saw it all as an out-sider, and even I can see you never really left." he grinned placing a hand on Usopp's shoulder. "so forget about it Longnose-bro! This is a new beginning!" he stated and gave Usopp's shoulder one final clap before he walked past Usopp and into the dining room with the aquarium, where the rest of the crew was enjoying a calm evening get together. Just simply sitting and enjoying each others company before it was bed-time.

Their first dinner by the aquarium had of cause been quite the even, as all straw-hat dinners were, but now it was quite calm. And as Usopp opened the door he was met with a warm light, and his entire crew sitting down there calmly.. every-one. Franky, Chopper, Sanji, Nami, Zoro and Luffy. Had it really only been last night that Usopp had spend yet another night alone in a silent room?

It tugged in Usopp's breast. The moment he was un-board the sunny, it was like nothing had happened between them at all. Or at least both he and Luffy acted like it. Luffy would probably continue acting like it. But Usopp felt the difference inside, things had changed, it would always be different now in some way and he.. suddenly he knew. He had to put things right! right then and there! or it could end up going so wrong in the future. "Guys." Usopp spoke to them making every-body turn their necks.

"Erh... I erhh." Usopp blushed deeply as he looked down and scratched his neck in embarresment. "I kind of got.. some-thing to say." he muttered. "About these last couple of days, about. Back with Merry."

"Oh don't worry about it Usopp!" Nami stated raising a glass of Saki towards him. "It's all behind us now, all that matters is that you are back."

Usopp sighed as he shook his head and silently walked down the stairs, to quietly sit between the others. "I owe you all an apology." he at last stated.

Luffy rolled his eyes. "You all-ready did apologies remember?" he asked. "So stop this nonsense, tell us a story instead." he demanded.

"No." Usopp shook his head. "I want to do this right, I _need _to put this right! Please every-body, just be silent and hear me out." he asked more determined looking up at every-one of them.

"Really usopp it's not." Nami began but Sanji stopped her with a hand gesture.

"Come on, let long-nose speak, or he'll just burn in with it for-ever." Sanji commented.

Usopp took in a deep breath. "I really am sorry." he told, and then firmly met Luffy's eyes, looking directly into his captain eyes as he held the contact while speaking, steady and surely. "You were right, and I was wrong. Luffy, you are the captain, it is you who take the final decisions and it was not my place to question you, less my place to challenge you. Because not only are you my captain, but you are also my nakama, my friend and my brother." he told never breaking that eye-contact for a second. "When you give a final order, it's my job to trust you, because you are my captain. And I should have done so to back then, from the beginning. I'm sorry."

Suddenly Luffy's eyes turned wet as his lip quivered and he turned his head away. "Don't mention it, all is forgiven:" he hiccuped. "So just shut up."

"Nami." Usopp continued, shifting his eyes to meet hers instead. "We are quite the team, the level headed ones.. or so I thought, I didn't act level headed at all. I was emotional, immature and petty. I am sorry." he told in a much softer voice.

Nami shook her head. "I think it's easy ones in a while to forget how young you are Usopp, I think you yourself have even forgotten." she pointed out. "We all make mistakes, what is important is that we learn, Usopp, I am proud of you." she told. "And I am so glad you are back." she told in a slight smile leaning over to give him a slight hug. "I need another level head around, whom can see and acknowledge the danger with me, can't make it without you." she almost laughed, though a little nervously. "Just look at the idiots around us, they would walk into death traps every-day if it wasn't for us holding them back. So don't you dare go any-where you."

Usopp smiled as he padded her on the back. "Thank you." he whipsered before letting go and turned to the two older man. "Sanji, Zoro." he nodded at them. "Thank you for fighting for me, and keep on standing up for me, I am sorry I made you worry."

"Pff, you didn't make us worry at all." Zoro snorted.

"The idiot is lying, we are just glad you are okay." Sanji shrugged as he blew out a puff of smoke.

"And chopper." Usopp turned to the reindeer, opened his arms. "I am so sorry for saying we are not Nakamas any-more, of cause we are! I mean.. if you still want me to be. Please forgive me, I never meant what I said, i'm sorry." he told.

Chopper how-ever sniffed before he finally in one big yell simply yelled. "USOPP!" and threw himself into Usopps arms and up in his lap, where the little reindeer cried and cried as he hugged Usopp.

"Hey, hey, easy there." Usopp smiled a little amused holding the tiny reindeer. "It's all-right now, I am not going any-where."

"Idiot that's not why I am upset, in fact I am not upset, I am not even crying." Chopper stated though the opposite was clearly true as he refused to let go of Usopp.

Usopp shook his head holding the reindeer as he looked up and caught Robins eye. "I almost feel like I should say some-thing to you to, but you weren't even there.. I am glad you are all-right Robin." he finally told.

"I'm glad we are all together again." Robin returned in a light smile. "This is how the straw hat crew is supposed to be." she pointed out. "If any-thing Is should say thank you to you, and sorry." she nodded her head. "If I had let you take me off that train we could have cleared us from quite a bit of trouble." she chuckled.

Luffy blinked. "Wait. Usopp was on the sea-train?" he asked confused, making every-body else role their eyes as they groaned.

At last Franky just grinned as he send Usopp a smile. "So you see Longnose-bro. No reason to be so emotional over your decisions." He exhaled. "After-all. It was a good thing you left the crew for a while!"

"What, why?" Usopp asked as he looked at Franky, as well did Chopper questionable turn around, though sat on Usopps lap. And so did every-body else, looking quoestionable at Franky,

"You recognised the spirit of this new ship didn't you?" Franky asked.

"Sunny has Merry's spirit." Usopp acknowledged in a slight nod.

"How do you think that happened?" Franky asked. "Easy, you loved Merry so much, were so dedicated to her, that her spirit got transferred to you." he told. "True I had the drawings for the sunny in my drawer for many years, but they were just that, drawings, I could never actually build the ship, cause it had no spirit that called out to me. Then when this crew was here, the drawings called to me, they had found their spirit, Merry's spirit, which you brought to me and my drawings, your story gave my work it's passion and its soul. We _had_ to be alone together for a while, so you could show me that soul, and I had to see Merry up close. I think it was all as it was meant to be, as if it was destiny." Franky smiled. "A ships spirit is formed by its crew, and the one whom was Merry's dearest care-taker, was you long-nose. Thousand-sunny though is a bigger ship, she'll need twice the care-taker, up for helping me out with that?" Franky asked.

Usopp blinked. "I was… _meant _to leave for a little while?" he asked.

"I think so to!" Luffy laughed. "But then again, I am just glad to have you back!" he stated.

"This ship does indeed have the soul of Merry." Robin commented gliding her hand over the wooden panel. "You must have cared for her quite a lot, to be able to carry her spirit like that. Good job Usopp, no one else in the crew could have done that."

Chopper laughed from Usopps lap. "That explains every-thing! Of cause that is how it is. Usopp belongs with the ship! It's so obvious."

"Merry." Usopp whispered as he looked around. "Now a thousand-sunnies." then his mouth spread in a big wide smile. "I am so looking forward to looking probably after her."

"She's a very special lady." Franky grinned. "But well, I guess you all-ready knew that." he commented as he let down his sun-glasses. "She needs a very special crew of caretakers."

"Don't worry thousand-suns!" Chopper yelled up in the ceiling. "I'll take good care of your crew, and they'll take good care of you! And we will all love you, because you are our nakama!" he exclaimed. "And i'll take extra good care of Usopp, cause he'll be the one to take extra good care of you!"

Usopp chuckled, and then ruffled up choppers fur.

"One last question though." Franky smirked. "Who's the girl?"

Usopp almost splurted by that question. "Wha-what?" he asked.

"The girl?" Franky asked ones again. "You carry a girl in your heart, and you put her soul into the ship while you cared for her didn't you?" he asked.

"NO!" Usopp exclaimed. "No girl! I swear!" he exclaimed blushing deeply as he held up his arms, almost as if trying to push Frankys accusation away.

Suddenly Nami looked up as her eyes widened. "Well of cause!" She exclaimed. "It's Kaya isn't it?" she asked.

"WHAAAT!?" Usopp exclaimed. "No, no.. I.. I.. I.." he blushed deeply.

Franky laughed. "Don't be ashamed Usopp-bro, that you have a lady a shore just means you are a true man of the sea." He grinned giving Usopp a thumbs up.

"Usopp has a girl-friend!?" Sanji exclaimed looking wide-eyed at him.

Usopp looked down as he blushed deeply, mumbling some-thing that sounded very much like. "Not my Girl-friend."

"how the heck did Usopp manage that?" Sanji asked. "She can't have been pretty."

Usopp gaped at Sanji. "Not pretty!? NOT PRETTY?" he exclaimed. "You wouldn't know pretty if it smacked you in the face, Kaya is the loveliest woman on earth!" he stated surely with crossed arms.

"So she's not your girlfriend when you say stuff like that?" Zoro asked with a lifted eye-brow.

"Shut up." Usopp mumbled.

"Bet she looks like a man" Sanji commented.

"_She does not_!" Usopp exclaimed and reached down in a saddle, where he pulled up a little medallion which he opened to show-case to sanji. "THERE! Happy?" he asked.

Sanji lifted an eye-brow. "No wonder you like her, she got the same nose as you." he commented. "Isn't she a bit old for you as well?"

"That's my mother you dolt!" Usopp exclaimed. "The other picture!" he he hissed.

That though made Sanji quiet as he looked wide-eyed at the picture. "No way." He exclaimed. "This angel of light can't be Usopp's girlfriend!" he exclaimed and then show-cased the medallion to the rest, which had two pictures in it, one of a woman with long straight black hair, a lovely smile and a long nose, and then one of a blond beautiful young girl. "He is lying isn't he?" Sanji asked.

"No, that's Kaya all-right." Nami commented in a smile. "So Usopp, you carry her photo around, and she is still _not _your girlfriend?" she asked.

"Don't be ridicules." Usopp hissed taking his medalion back and stuffing it into his saddle. "I'm out here at the grand-line, she is at the eastern blue, I haven't seen her ever since I left, so how would that even work!?" he asked.

"So you didn't even have any-thing going on back at Syrup?" Nami asked. "Come one you can tell me." She told in a smirk.

"NO!" Usopp exclaimed. "There was nothing I swear! How could there be?" he asked. "I mean, I was just the orphan of the village, spending my days creating havoc, while she was the riches person on the island. _And_ locked in that room of hers, because of her illness and stuff." He sighed, looking honestly a little dissapointed by his own explanation.

Funny enough, the one having been the most silent was Luffy whom hadn't said a word since the Kaya buisness came up, and Usopp suddenly noticed how gloomy Luffy was looking.

"Erh.. Luffy.." Usopp blinked. "Some-thing wrong?" he asked.

"I see now." Luffy sighed. "Merry was your treasure, and I was just taking her away from you. Of cause you would have to fight for her, I."

"Luffy." Usopp stopped him as he laid a hand on Luffy's shoulder. "It's all-right." He told. "It all turned out as it was meant to, I could never take care of Merry the way she needed to, and as a result, her body just wasn't able to carry us any-more. But she knew that, she knew we all did our best, and she loved us so much that she would carry us to the last. And I knew it, I knew it and wouldn't admit it I was.. erh. Very stubbon." Usopp finally admited in a blush, but then smiled as he looked almost mischivously at the crew. "But it turned out great! Her spirit still lives on." Usopp told pounding his own chest. "Kaya is still looking after us, every single day, even though we are so far away from her. Beside, I got a new treasure now any-way."

Luffy blinked. "What?" he asked.

In response Usopp merely laughed and gave Luffy's shoulder a play-full punch. "Wouldn't you like to know!?" he asked before he stood up and ran for the door. "COME ON LUFFY WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!" he asked from the door. "There's tons of new adventures to be had out there!" he grinned as he ran out on deck.

"But." Dissapointed Luffy looked after Usopp. "What _is _his new treasure?" he asked. "I wanna know!" he exclaimed. "YO USOPP! WHAT IS YOURE TREASURE!?" he asked running out on deck, only for Usopp to blow a raspberry at him.

"Never going to tell!" Usopp stated, and it all ended up in a big chase scene on deck as the rest of the crew sat back, clearly hearing the big spectacle out-side from where they were.

"huh." Chopper blinked. "I do wonder." he admitted. "What is Usopp's new treasure?" he asked. "Is it the sunny?" he asked looking quostionable at Franky.

Franky grinned as he pulled up his sunglasses. "I think Long-nose bro learned a lot of things on our little recent adventure." he commented. "For one thing, he learned that it's not the woods the ship is made off that makes it Spirit, no." he told. "It's the crew!" he stated. "The stronger a nakama ship, the stronger the spirit! Just now, he made absolutely sure your Nakama-ship would stay intact, that was his goal all along, so what do you think reindeer-bro?" he asked Chopper.

Choppers eyes widened deeply. "Oooh." he exclaimed. "you mean!?" he asked pointing at all of them.

"Of cause Chopper." Nami rolled her eyes as she leaned back in the chair. "Even I know that money are just printed paper, what are they compared to what we have unboard this ship right now?" she asked.

"YAY!" Chopper laughed. "I get it! USOPP! LUFFY!" Chopper exclaimed as he stood up. "I GET IT I GET! USOPP IT'S ALSO MY TREASURE!" he yelled running out.

"WHAT IS!?" Luffy asked, and soon it had all evolved into a three-way battle.

Nami rolled her eyes. "When will they ever grow up?" she asked.

"Man they seem like they have fun together." Franky pointed out. "Are they often like this?" he asked.

"All the time." Sanji snorted in a roll of his eyes.

"Super!" Franky grinned. "No wonder the spirit of Merry was so strong! I couldn't ask for a better spirit to be passed on to my Sunny." he stated lovingly brushing his hands over the wooden panel.

Just as a big clash sounded from up-stairs at the deck, and the three youngest of the crew rolled around in their brawl, before they all ended on their backs laughing so loudly that the nearest island should be able to hear it.

It was the very meaning of a spirited crew!


End file.
